Anxiety Life Insurance [Complete Guide 2025]

Q: Does anxiety affect life insurance?

Anxiety could have an impact on your application , but it will depend on factors such as what symptoms you experience and how often you experience them. For those with mild anxiety, that’s well managed and with symptoms that don’t greatly affect daily life, there could be a little to no effect on your application. Anxiety is the body’s natural response to stress and danger, but it can be problematic if these feelings are persistent and last for a long time [3] . If you have severe and frequent feelings of anxiety that impact your daily life, as well as additional mental/physical health complications, then this could have an effect on your application. Insurers will ask questions during the application process to get a better understanding of your situation to ensure you’re securing the right policy for your circumstances.

Q: Can I be denied life insurance for having an anxiety disorder?

Depending on your personal circumstances, you could be declined when applying for life insurance with anxiety. Insurers assess life insurance applications based on risk. The riskier they perceive you to be based on the information you provide, the more you’ll pay for a policy or they might decline cover. Anxiety alone might not lead to you being declined, particularly if your condition is well managed. But in severe cases or cases where other high-risk factors are identified, insurers might see the risk as too great. It’s important to remember that each insurer has a different underwriting process (the process of assessing applications) so they all assess risk differently. If one insurer declines you it could be possible to find cover through another provider. Or you could have other options like applying through a specialist insurer or buying an over 50s plan.

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Anxiety life insurance

Can I get life insurance with an anxiety disorder?
Types of anxiety
Are anxiety disorders considered pre-existing medical conditions?
Does anxiety affect life insurance?
What policy options are available to those with anxiety?
How much is life insurance with an anxiety disorder?
Can I be denied life insurance for having an anxiety disorder?

Life insurance and anxiety [key points]

Getting life insurance with an anxiety disorder could be possible
There are many types of anxiety and everyone will experience different symptoms, for this reason insurers will take your personal circumstances into consideration during the application process
The severity and frequency of your symptoms, as well as any other high-risk factors, could impact your application
There isn’t a specific ‘anxiety life insurance’ policy. Anxiety life insurance simply refers to someone with anxiety taking out a life insurance policy

Can I get life insurance with an anxiety disorder?

Yes, getting life insurance with anxiety could be possible.

When it comes to mental health, many think that a diagnosis could stop them from getting the cover they need. However, this isn’t always the case.

It’s reassuring to know that there’s no difference between physical and mental health when it comes to making insurance decisions. The processes and guidelines are consistent for every medical condition, whether that’s physical or mental^[1].

1 in 10 people (over 8 million people) in the UK will be living with an anxiety disorder at any one time^[2]. This means that insurers are used to handling applications from those with anxiety.

It could even be possible to get life insurance with anxiety on standard terms (no exclusions or price increases are added to the policy), but it will depend on your personal circumstances such as the type of anxiety you have, what your symptoms are like and how often you experience them.

At Reassured, we can give you all the information you need about the policies available to those with anxiety and we can provide you with our best deals for your circumstances from our panel of insurers.

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Types of anxiety

The most common forms of anxiety include:

Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) - those with the condition often feel anxious about a variety of things.
Social anxiety disorder - also known as social phobia. Social anxiety disorder is having a fear or feeling overwhelmed by social situations.
Health anxiety– those with health anxiety often experience feelings of anxiety relating to their health, such as being ill or getting ill.

Are anxiety disorders considered pre-existing medical conditions?

Yes, if you’ve received an anxiety diagnosis (whether that’s general, social or health anxiety), this will be seen as a pre-existing medical condition when you apply for life insurance.

You might be asked some additional questions about your condition so that insurers can better understand your circumstances, such as:

When were you diagnosed?
Which type(s) of anxiety were you diagnosed with?
How often do you experience symptoms?
Have you had to take time off from work due to anxiety?
Are you receiving any treatment (such as therapy or counselling)?
Have you been prescribed any medication (if so, which ones)?
Have you been diagnosed with any other health conditions?
Have you experienced thoughts of self-harm?
Have you experienced suicidal thoughts?

Any condition you’ve been diagnosed with prior to taking out life insurance is considered as pre-existing and this means you’ll need to let insurers know about it.

It might seem hard or daunting to open up about your condition but it’s reassuring to know that insurers don’t judge applicants on the information they provide. They simply need this information in order to provide the right cover.

Being open and honest means that you get a suitable policy for your circumstances.

Does anxiety affect life insurance?

Anxiety could have an impact on your application, but it will depend on factors such as what symptoms you experience and how often you experience them.

For those with mild anxiety, that’s well managed and with symptoms that don’t greatly affect daily life, there could be a little to no effect on your application.

Anxiety is the body’s natural response to stress and danger, but it can be problematic if these feelings are persistent and last for a long time^[3].

If you have severe and frequent feelings of anxiety that impact your daily life, as well as additional mental/physical health complications, then this could have an effect on your application.

Insurers will ask questions during the application process to get a better understanding of your situation to ensure you’re securing the right policy for your circumstances.

What policy options are available to those with anxiety?

When applying for life insurance with anxiety, there could be a variety of policy options available.

The most common options include:

Level term life insurance – provides cover for a set period and offers a fixed lump sum pay out if you pass away during this time. Ideal for helping to cover an interest-only mortgage and/or family living costs. You’ll need to provide medical information (including your anxiety diagnosis) during the application process.
Decreasing term life insurance – provides cover for a set period and offers a lump sum pay out if you pass away during the term. The value of the lump sum will reduce throughout the policy term. For this reason, it’s ideal for helping to protect a repayment mortgage. You’ll need to provide medical information (including your anxiety diagnosis) during the application.
Whole of life insurance – provides lifelong cover, paying out when you pass away (not if you pass away). It’s common for whole of life insurance to help cover inheritance tax bills and/or provide loved ones with an inheritance to spend as they wish. You’ll need to provide medical information (including your anxiety diagnosis) during the application process. Due to offering cover for the rest of your life, it tends to be the most expensive option.
Over 50s life insurance – provides lifelong cover and guarantees acceptance to UK residents aged 50 – 85. This means you won’t need to give any information about your anxiety diagnosis during the application process. A pay out is guaranteed when you pass away (after a 12 or 24 month waiting period has come to an end).

Reassured can provide you with all the information you need to know about the policies listed above. Plus, we can help you compare quotes to find a great deal.

How much life insurance do you need?

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How much is life insurance with an anxiety disorder?

It could be possible to take out life insurance with standard terms (prices starting from £5 per month^†).

However, the price you pay for life insurance is based on personal circumstances. Insurers calculate the cost of your monthly life insurance premium by assessing the following factors:

Age
Health
Smoking status
BMI
Occupation
Lifestyle
Policy details

Insurers will also take details about your condition into consideration, such as when you were diagnosed, how severe your symptoms are and how often you experience them.

If your condition has an effect on your daily life and you experience frequent and severe symptoms, you could pay more for your policy.

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Why use Reassured for anxiety life insurance?

We’re the UK’s largest life insurance broker^*with over 15 years’ experience
We’re rated as ‘Excellent’ on Trustpilot, with over 90,000 customer reviews
We work with a panel of insurers, including some of the UK’s best insurers & smaller specialists (through our advised team)
We have a dedicated specialist impaired team who have a great track record of finding some form of cover for those previously declined
Our service is award-winning & Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulated

Can I be denied life insurance for having an anxiety disorder?

Depending on your personal circumstances, you could be declined when applying for life insurance with anxiety.

Insurers assess life insurance applications based on risk. The riskier they perceive you to be based on the information you provide, the more you’ll pay for a policy or they might decline cover.

Anxiety alone might not lead to you being declined, particularly if your condition is well managed. But in severe cases or cases where other high-risk factors are identified, insurers might see the risk as too great.

It’s important to remember that each insurer has a different underwriting process (the process of assessing applications) so they all assess risk differently.

If one insurer declines you it could be possible to find cover through another provider. Or you could have other options like applying through a specialist insurer or buying an over 50s plan.

Tips for managing application stress when you have an anxiety disorder:

Do some research– by reading up on the life insurance application process and what options are available, you might be more comfortable you’ll know what to expect. We have guides on the life insurance application process, as well as commonly asked life insurance questions if you’d like further reading.
Be open and honest– while it can be hard to open up, it’s important to do so to make sure that your policy is valid and a pay out can be made if your loved ones need to make a claim.
Ask questions if you need to– if you’re unsure of anything during the application process, such as why an insurer might need certain information or what some of the jargon means, it’s ok to ask. It’s your application so it’s important that you’re happy and comfortable.
Practice mindfulness - if you think the application is a situation that’s likely to lead to you feeling anxious, surround yourself with things that might make you feel more comfortable. You could also have something planned for later in the day (once you have applied) to help you de-stress and regulate your nervous system (such as going for a walk, going to the gym or seeing friends/family).
Consider using a broker - when you use a broker, you’ll give your details to the broker and then they’ll find you suitable options from their panel to help you find a great deal. This might be slightly more comforting than applying with multiple insurers and having to give your details over and over.

If you’re struggling with feelings of anxiety, you’re not alone. There are a range of help and support services available:

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Hopefully this guide has given you some reassurance that getting life insurance with anxiety could be possible.

When using an expert, like Reassured, you’ll have access to a friendly and understanding professional who can answer your questions and help you through the application process.

We can source quotes from our panel of insurers to find you our best deals.

Our quotes are fee-free and there’s no pressure or obligation to secure a policy.

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